


Where the Heart is

by BekkaChaos



Series: Gallavich Drabbles [112]
Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Bipolar Disorder, Caring Mickey, Gallavich, M/M, Medication, Protective Mickey Milkovich
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-16
Updated: 2014-11-16
Packaged: 2018-02-25 15:16:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2626445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BekkaChaos/pseuds/BekkaChaos
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i><b>based on a prompt: </b>Love your stuff. Could you write something where Fiona/Lip doesn't think Mickey can help Ian and want him to come back to the Gallaghers' house/ get him admitted somewhere, but really Mickey is actually looking after him well and getting Ian meds etc. ? Thanks :)</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Where the Heart is

"I'm just saying," Lip said as he and Fiona walked home from the diner. "You ever known a Milkovich to be a help to anyone? You know, other than helpin' them break their kneecaps."

"That's rich, comin' from you," Fiona scoffed.

"All I'm saying is why should we just sit back and let him 'take care' of Ian?" Lip said, taking a drag on his cigarette.

"He seems to at least give a shit," Fiona said.

"This is the same Mickey Milkovich who married a whore he knocked up, didn't seem to give a shit then," Lip said.

"Well then you can go over there and tell him that Ian's not staying there because believe me, when I was there... seemed like he cared," Fiona said, taking a detour towards the Milkovich house.

"Cared? No, Fiona, he doesn't _care_ ," Lip said, taking quicker steps as they headed over to get Ian back.

It wasn't too late, Fiona's shift had finished before peak hour and she was going to check up on Ian after feeding the kids, but now seemed as good a time as ever.

Fiona knew what she'd seen the other day, when she went to see what was wrong. Mickey never said he cared, not explicitly, never said he loved Ian, but she'd seen it in his eyes.

It was real.

"You sure you wanna show up with Mandy's new boyfriend hanging around?" Fiona asked as they walked up the stairs.

"He works late some nights," Lip said.

"You know what nights?" Fiona asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm taking my chances," he said, knocking on the door.

After a few moments of waiting, Mandy opened it, locking eyes with Lip before staring down at her feet.

"You guys here to see Ian?" she asked, folding her arms.

"We're here to take him home," he said.

"Lip," Fiona hissed, shaking her head and Mandy stepped aside to let them through.

They walked in and Lip looked around cautiously.

"He's not here," Mandy said as she followed them into the kitchen. "If that's why you look so fucking terrified."

"Where's Ian?" he asked.

"Mickey's with him," Mandy shrugged.

Lip started walking towards the hall but stopped when he saw the pill bottles on the kitchen counter. He stared down at them before picking one up to read the label.

"Lamictal... Zyprexa... what the hell are these?" he asked.

"Mood stabilisers mostly," she said. "Iggy held up a pharmacy, got him to pick up some shit, well, Mickey did, even used a computer to look up this sort of stuff. Debbie said your mom used to be on Lithium so there should be some of that too."

Lip raised an eyebrow, " _Mickey_ told one of your brothers which meds to steal?"

"I know he acts like an asshole, but that doesn't mean he's always an asshole," Mandy said and the two of them stared at each other for a long moment.

Fiona coughed a little to break the mood and put her hands up. "So where is he?"

"He needs a fuckin' doctor Fi," Lip said. "He can't just be downing some mock-up cocktail from Dr Google."

"We can't afford the kind of fucking treatment he'd need," Fiona said. "You know we'd be doing the same thing and relying on whatever V had lyin' around in her med cabinet if he were at home."

"What, you think this is good for him?" Lip asked.

"Mickey's doing the best he can," Mandy said. "We all are. I didn't see you around here when this all started."

Lip shot her a look but she just gave him an accusatory glare.

"Listen Mandy, we just wanna see him," Fiona said.

"Taking him away now ain't going to do him any favours," Mandy said as she started walking towards Mickey's room.

"Yeah well, _we're_ his family," Lip said.

"And you think we're not?" she said.

Mandy opened the door slowly peeking her head around to see if Mickey had made any progress.

He sat on the floor, resting his chin on the mattress with one hand holding Ian's - fingers interlocked - and the other gently stroking his hair. He was smiling a little, talking really softly with Ian.

"I'm just glad you took it is all," he said, a smile finally gracing his lips.

He looked up to the door and his smile dropped when he saw Lip and Fiona standing there silently.

"Hey, I gotta go for a bit," he said quietly.

"You're comin' back?" Ian mumbled.

"I'm comin' back," Mickey said, letting go of his hand. "Someone else might wanna see you anyhow."

Fiona gave Mickey a half smile, the two passing one another as Mickey headed out and Fiona headed in. She gave Ian a big grin, and he actually gave her one back for a change.

Mickey shut the door behind him as he walked out, looking Lip up and down and raising an eyebrow.

"What're you here for?" he asked.

"Ian," he said.

"What about him?"

"Making sure he's doing okay," Lip said, the two of them squaring off to one another with way too much bravado.

Mandy rolled her eyes. "They want to take him home," she said.

"He's stayin' here," Mickey said straight away. "He is fuckin' home."

"You can't just-"

"Can't fuckin' what huh? He's gettin' better, he took the meds we got, he's eating, we're takin' care of him. He ain't leaving," Mickey said, and Lip realised he wasn't about to just stand down.

If there was one thing he knew about Mickey Milkovich, it was that when he set his mind to something it got done, from handing down a beating to apparently caring for someone he loved.

"This wont be enough forever, you know that right?" Lip said.

Mickey sighed, "When we get to that point we deal with it," he said. "He's not leavin'."

"Okay, alright," Lip said, that point getting through crystal clear.

They stared at one another for a moment before Lip nodded a little.

"Mind letting me know what you've got him on then?" he said and Mickey headed into the kitchen, showing him the bottles and what each of them was supposed to do.

Surprisingly, he seemed to know a lot, or at least he remembered a lot of what he'd read about it.

He couldn't believe it, never would have until he saw it with his own eyes. Mickey Milkovich doing something for another human being that didn't involve a bat, or a knife, or a gun.

He was never going to tell Lip the real reason he was doing it, but he already knew. Fiona was right, he did care.


End file.
